Foot-cushion.



R. W. FOSTER.

FOOT CUSHION. APPLICATION rfim) JAN.10, 1910.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Invemr: Zom WF05911 To all whom it may concern! hurrah 'sra'rns raa'nur orrion.

ROLON W. FOSTER, OF NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ESSEX MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF KITTERY, MAINE, AND LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION or MAINE.

FOOT-CUSHION.

Be it known that I, RoLoN W. FOSTER,

citizen of the United States, residing at Needham, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot- Cushions; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to cushions and supports for the feet and more particularly to a cushion or support to be worn inside of the boot or shoe and adapted to conform to the bottom of the foot of the wearer to produce a yielding and cushioning support for the foot and toyieldingly support the arch of the foot and to prevent and correct the tendency of the wearer to tread over either to the outside or the inside.

Arch supporting devices as heretofore made are constructed in a rigidmanner of comparatively stiff and heavy sole leather and metallic stiffening plates, and while they will support the. bones of the arch of the human foot, they are, because of their stiff and unyielding nature, extremely uncomfortable to the wearer, and in many cases aggravate instead of correct the trouble w ich they are designed to correct and cause considerable pain'to the wearer, to such an extent'that when first used it is often necessary for the wearer to break them in as it were, by using them a short time and removing them to rest the feet.

The object of my invention is to produce a foot cushion and arch supporter so constructed and of such materials that it will afford a yielding comforting and self-conforming support and brace to the foot.

To the above ends my invention consists of the improved foot cushion and arch support which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one form of my invention. Fig. 2 shows a transverse sectional view through the flanged por- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9,1912.

Application filed January 10, 1910. Serial No. 537,212.

Similar reference characters will be employed throughout the specification and drawing to designate corresponding parts.

My invention comprises a cushioning support a which in general outline conforms to the shape of the rear portion of a shoe sole and having at one end a heel pad a and cut ofl at its opposite end a approximately at the forward end of the shank or adjacent to the beginning of the ball of the sole.

Between the heel pad a and the forward edge (1 the cushioning support is narrowed or contracted as at a and the narrowed or contracted portion is bounded upon either side by the upwardly and outwardly curved flanges a and a, the flange a extending along the inner side of the arch portion of the foot when the device is in use and the flange a along the outer side of the foot.

As shown in the drawing, these flanges a and a are of different heights, the flange a being considerably higher than the flange a, and between the flanges the support is curved transversely as shown at a in Fig. 2. The flanges a and at are curved at their upper edges as shown at a, and these curvededges gradually approach and merge into the surface or'body of thecushion at either end.

The device as thus described is constructed of a filling or body consisting of a homogeneous, elastic and cellular material I) such as sponge or moss rubber molded to the deslred shape, which body or filling is con-v fined between an under covering b and an upper covering 6 fpreferably of leather of a sulficient degree 0 weight and thickness to have imparted thereto by molding the desired shape or configuration, the two cover-' ings b and 6 being stitched together along their marginal edges as shown. at If.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the heel portions of the leather coverings b and b are brought in contact with each other and have the general outline of a heel lift, thus formed integrally with the cushioning or filling of the fore part, the filling a being covered by the covering b and the covering 6 It will be particularly noted that the under surface of the heel pad a of the device shown in Fig. 4 will be convexly curved both longitudinally and transversely as indicated by reference characters 6 and 6 See Figs. 5 and 6.

The cellular material I) being a yielding and self-conforming member throughout, acts as a'multiplicity of small springs directed perpendicular to the surface of the foot against which the said material acts. As the foot cushion and arch supporter conforms in shape to the natural foot and throughout the sides as well as the bottom of the foot, the spring cushion of the elastic cellular material molds the foot into the natural shape and yieldingly supports the sides and arch of the foot. The act of walking causes a compression of the cellular material, thus gently exercising the arch structure causing increased circulation of blood; thus it strengthens the muscles, and ligaments of the arch and promotes a cure, rather than the debilitating effect of a rigid unyielding and nonconforming arch support. face of the heel pad a causes it to fit accurately the depressed heel seat portion of the inner sole of the boot or shoe eflfec tuallypositioning the foot cushion in the proper position and preventing it from slipping forward" beneath the foot of the wearer while in use. I

Having described my invention I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A foot cushion or arch support comprising a molded homogeneous elastic cellular body, having at one end a heel seat or This conformation of the under surpad and a thick narrowed body portion intermediate its ends, upwardly and outwardly curved flanges extending alongsaid narrowed body portion and merging at either end into said body portion, one of the said flanges being higher than the other and the upper surface of the cushion and the flanges curved from side to side, substantially as described.

2. A foot cushion or arch support comprising a molded homogeneous elastic cellular body,'h'aving' at one end a heel seat or pad and a thick narrowed body portion intermediate its ends, upwardly and outwardly curved flanges extending along said narrowed body portion and merging at either end into said body portion, one of said flanges being higher than the other and the upper surface of the cushion and the flanges curved from side to side, the said body portion having an upper and under covering of molded leather stitched together along their edges, substantially as described.

3. A foot cushion or arch support comprising a homogeneous elastic, cellular-body shaped to the natural curves of the foot and having thick and thin portions, said thick portions or greatest mass being intermediate the ends of said support, said elastic cellular-body acting against the foot in lines perpendicular to the contacting surface of the foot and throughout the extent of said cushion and support.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ROLON W. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

JESSIE M. BLYTH, T. HART ANDERSON. 

